Bayern Munich will, once again, be feared across Europe
“A squad that will be once again feared across Europe” is what Luca Toni and Franck Ribery signed up for next season. Those are believed to be Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness’s words to Toni.
With most of my favorite team’s (Man Utd) transfers done already I have decided to turn my attention and track the market activity of the only other team that has fans in our family.
FC Bayern have had their worst season in 10 years and with their quasi-moronic habit of letting players leave on free (and then trying to make up for it by asking ridiculous money for players like Hargreaves) they have found themselves almost in need of an entire new squad for next season.
In addition to Mehmet Scholl who is retiring and Owen Hargreaves who completed his much anticipated and craved transfer to Manchester United. Bayern also bade farewell to Hasan Salihamidzic, Claudio Pizarro and Ali Karimi. All three players will be leaving the Bavarians on free, the destination of the first two being Juventus and Chelsea respectively while that of Karimi is still to be determined (most likely being a Qatari club).
All of this meant the club had to go on its biggest spending spree in history. €11m for the world cup winning striker offering him a record shattering contract of €5.5m a year, Toni has promised Bayern to “repay them in goals”. As for Ribery, the transfer details have not been disclosed but the reports have then at an initial €26m in addition to another 4m when the Bavarians qualify for Europe, making it the most expensive acquisition in Bundesliga history.
While many Arsenal fans thought the Frenchman was Emirates bound because they had Henry and many Real Madrid fans though the same because of his relationship with Zidane, it appears that Bayern stalwart Willy Sagnol was able to convince his countryman that German was not so hard to learn. Ribery will take the number seven previously worn with distinction by Mehmet Scholl, with Toni set to wear the classic number nine last occupied by goalscoring legend Giovane Elber.
Ribery and Toni join confirmed new arrivals Marcell Jansen, the left back starlet of relegated Borussia Monchengladbach (transfer fee undisclosed), Jan Schlaudraff of relegated Alemannia Aachen (€1.2m), Hamit Altintop of Schalke(free) and Jose Ernesto Sosa of Estudientes (€6m). In addition it appears that 34 year old Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto set for a second spell in Munich after spending a year with Santos.
Also, Miroslav Klose has stated that he wishes to play for Bayern in 2008, although it is uncertain if Bayern will agree with Werder Bremen on a price-tag for the world cup sensation. Still, Klose is definetly Allianz-Arena bound at the end of his contract next year. These have been the names and deals so far, and I don’t doubt that Ottmar Hitzfeild, Uli Hoeness, and Der Kaiser (Franz Beckenbauer) have more tricks up their sleeves.
This revamped squad has started to take shape; it indeed looks like a well oiled German machine ready to instill fear into the hearts of the weak and by weak I mean the opposition Bayern will face in the UEFA Cup. I have no doubt in my mind Bayern will sweep through the UEFA Cup and come back to the Champion’s League hungrier than ever.
Feared all over Europe?
I reckon he means they’re having Iain Dowie’s face as their new Club Crest and on their shirts. No-one would agree to play them then.
when the germans come back, they come back with a vengeance…
It’s all down to their superb manager Ottmar Hitzfeld - he will attract many great players - as we are seeing. He’s one of the greats - and yes - he will make Beyern into a feared side in Europe again - good for the game!
Bayern are pretty fearsome even without the new signings - mainly because when they play in Europe, they raise their game several notches.
With the players to make the difference, what are the odds for Bayern winning the Uefa Cup?
Great article agree wit everthing
Keep it up Ahmed
bayern feared in europe? doubtful how could they be when they aint in champions league? uefa cup is nothing so who cares. ribery stated he wanted champions league football so why the hell did he join bayern? im confused…
i agree… i can’t wait to see them in the champions league this season….. oh wait, didnt they finish 4th?… silly gerries
Trust, Bayern we will win it. Hands down. After all the General is back.
Kai i konw ur confused coz we’re talking about bayern being feared in the comin season and not the 06-07 season.And Ribery,i think its money.
Yet another coup, with experience at an affordable price. That is Bayern Munich for you. This deal resembles that which brough Ballack and Ze Roberto plus Makaay to the Olympic Stadium.
Bayern will be a force to be reckon next season in Germany, but it is still not enough to be feared across Europe. Considering that Luca Toni is 29, Makaay 33, Ribery and Podolski is still raw and unproven plus the fact that Deisler and Scholl retired and Kahn who at 39? is already too old and VERY inconsistent. This means that there might be a shortage of match-winners and to expect Toni and Ribery to carry the burden, is all too premature. They might win the Bundesliga title next season, if Klose signs for them, but for them to conquer Europe, it might be a step too far for them.
keith kaira, you will win what? your NOT in the champions league i thought i was confsued but maybe its you.
dont get me wrong bayern are a good team, but to be feared in europe? come on look at todays teams, barca, arsenal, man utd, chelsea, real, milan, liverpool, sevilla, lyon, inter… i doubt any of them will fear bayern.
and to finish 4th in such a dull league is pretty poor.
@ Kai: Need I remind you that Bayern snatched the CL from the jaws of Valencia back in 2001? and that they kept ManU goalless all match long during that 1999 final (we can thank God for Ole) ?
Germany is a historical football powerhouse, regardless of the fact that they don’t have the biggest names in the game anymore, when German teams play the CL or Germany plays the WC or the Euro, as Ahmed said, they raise their game several notches. The reason for that is they consider the CL to be the most important event in club football. Their domestic league is not that prestigious i agree but it is also not that draining, not that tiring and that often plays in their favor when they play the CL because teams from the EPL, La Ligua, Seria A are being hammered everyday in their leagues. And lets not forget spot on perfectly thought out and executed German tactics, i mean Otto Rehhagel lead a mediocre squad of Greeks to glory for God’s sake… At the end of the day German football has always relied on technically sound players and textbook execution of tactics… Fear the Germans, fear them always
and again i will say… THEY ARE NOT IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!
Dude… We’re not talking about next season, were talking about the one after… thats the point of the entire article!!!! Did u actually read it????
At least read the last paragraph:
This revamped squad has started to take shape; it indeed looks like a well oiled German machine ready to instill fear into the hearts of the weak and by weak I mean the opposition Bayern will face in the UEFA Cup. I have no doubt in my mind Bayern will sweep through the UEFA Cup and come back to the Champion’s League hungrier than ever.
Bayern have one year to develop team chemistry they will play a Uefa Cup level for one year get better without the high pressures and then be ready to challenge the next.
Kai, Ribery has realised that he may not be ready for the Champions league yet and is no doubt certain that in a year he may develop with tutelage of one of the top coaches in the world. Now he could have gone to one of the competitors this year but few are rebuilding at the same level and under as good a coach as at Bayern.
Bayern have done a great job in the transfer market..They signed 4 excellent youngsters in Janese, Sosa, Ribery and Schlaudraff…They have also got experience in Toni and Ze’.
They may not be in CL, but when they are back next year, everybody will stand up and take a look at them at surprise!!
Beautiful football is back at Bayern. The signings are not complete yet..Once they qualify for Champions league, they will be able to attract more star players and we’ll see who doesn’t fear Bayern..:P
btw, UEFA CUP should be a piece of cake for this Bayern team!!
yes bayern SHOULD win the UEFA cup this coming season, but they wont.
and after this season when/if they are back in the CL, they still wont be feared… as ive mentioned before theres awhole lot of other clubs who id fear more. Bayern are on the bottom of my list. look at man utd signings much better than bayerns. arsenal are yet to spend this summer but still they have a better squad than bayern. chelsea grabbed pizarro afew youngsters and still have plenty of money to spend. inter as of today seem to be in the race to sign tevez which would be fantastic. barca have already a great attacking line-up, with henry possible? milan have always been a great team and always feared.
i just dont understand how some of you can say bayern are to be feared, you really cant be serious.. or maybe you just dont understand football so well. it makes me laugh.
He who’s house is made of glass shouldn’t throw stones… Let us live and see what this new Bayern squad can do…
no offence but, why does kai hate bayern? despite bayern’s 20 league titles, 4 ecl titles, 13 german cups, 6 league cups etc etc etc, one year we’re not in the ecl and suddenly we’re not even good enough to win uefa cup? not to mention the legends the club has produced and still are producing. a single year we’re not in the ecl and people are already doubting our reputation.
and what’s this calling the bundesliga a dull league? im sure that i’d prefer two technically sound bundesliga teams going at each other with the signature german high-tempo disiplined attack rather then two siera a teams battling for the first goal followed by some of the slowest defensive play in all of europe.
btw. bayern has uefa cup expirience
we won it back in 1996.
kai: chelsea grabbed pizarro afew youngsters and still have plenty of money to spend. inter as of today seem to be in the race to sign tevez which would be fantastic. barca have already a great attacking line-up, with henry possible? milan have always been a great team and always feared.
CHELSEA HAS NEVER WON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. NEVER
INTER MILAN AND BARCA’S ONLY WON IT TWICE.
but i do agree with your opinion of ac milan.
dont count bayern out of europe’s finest just yet though.
bayern is one of the top 10 teams in europe. Its so hard to tell where to rank them yet. I consider them better than Lyon, Inter, Valencia, Arsenal, Lpool but I also consider them weaker than Barca, Real, Manu and Chelsea. At least thats my opinion how it looks on paper. Which is the best team we will see this season or considering Bayern next season. I guess they will make some small approvements in the team next transfer period. And then they will be even better.
Bayern are definitly feared by any team with exception of AC Milan.